Tech is essential but understanding people is the larger key to success, says Meijer Inc. President J.K. Symancyk

KALAMAZOO, MI – Embracing new technology is essential in food marketing, but understanding people is the larger key to success, says J.K. Symancyk, president of walker-based superstore retailer Meijer Inc.

“All technology without any psychology is not going to take you that far, so make sure you’re really taking the time to understand behavior,” he said.

He said he thinks technology is great and embracing it was the common thread running through Western Michigan University’s 49th Annual Food Marketing Conference. But the difference between success and failure generally in the world of food producers, brokers and retailers has little to do with technology, he said. It has been more about psychology.

“Understanding people’ s behavior is a heck of a lot more important than understanding what the latest and greatest technology is,” he said. “…Take things that people actually do and figure out how to make them better through technology and the sky’s the limit.”

In a presentation titled “Connecting with The Customer,” Symancyk closed out WMU’s two-day annual Food Marketing Conference on Tuesday afternoon with advice to food marketing students who were in attendance. At the same time he shared insights that were of benefit to all.

The event, the largest annual university-sponsored gathering of food industry professionals – and one of the largest in the country of any kind -- attracted more than 600 industry professionals, students and others to downtown Kalamazoo Monday and Tuesday.

“I think that at the end of the day, the thing I love about this business is it’s very democratic,” he said. “Taking care of customers (and) making good sound business decisions will take you a long way.

In February of 2013, at age 41, Symancyk became the youngest president in Meijer’s 79-year history. He joined the company in October of 2006 as group vice president of perishables and before joining Meijer worked in various leadership positions for 12 years at Sam’s Club in Bentonville, Ark.

His other advice:

-“As you pick you opportunity students, understand that talent breeds talent and growth breeds growth. The reality is you run faster when you’re running with someone who is fast or you’re being chased. Put yourself into a talented team. Put yourself in a situation where there’s growth and you’ll benefit from it. It’s a whole lot easier to create growth opportunities for yourself if you’re stepping into a place that has more opportunity ahead of it than it has talent to fulfill it all.”

-“The ability to communicate and connect with people is far and away the most undervalued skill that you will take away from here or take into any situation that you’re going into. Whether that is one-to-one, whether that is in a large group setting like this. Whether that is in written form (doesn’t matter), the ability to listen, to speak, to communicate meaning to someone in something more than 164 characters is a critical part of success. And I will tell you, it is becoming more and more a lost art. All of the things that actually help many of us to stay more connected, also make us poorer communicators when it’s all said and done.”

-“You all as student step out with one in the win column and one in the loss column,” he said. “The loss .. is you don’t already have experience. What you do have is you are students. The world is changing faster today than it ever changed before. Retain that knowledge of how to be a good student. Retain that love of learning and continue to go learn things and you’ll be surprise d how much further you’ll get ahead today.”

He said the older people get, they lose that “learning” muscle set, and forget to take the time read and force themselves to “ lean into those things that you are least comfortable with.”

“Most of the people you’re going to go work with don’t do that as much as you’re doing today,” Symancyk said. “Don’t underestimate what the power of that can be as you try to accelerate your careers. It may make a difference.”

-Keeping score does matter. And I always talk about this with groups. When I grew up you didn’t give a lot of ribbons for eighth place.”

He talked about how his sone, when he was 8 years old, was really upset when his baseball game ended in a tie. When he asked, “What’s the matter? “ and he said, “It’s a tie.”

Symancyk said, “I told him, ‘Yeah, but the score doesn’t really matter.’ And he goes, ‘Well why do they keep it?’” and at the end of the day, it’s a great outlook. The score does matter. Just understand what score you’re keeping. Understand what winning and losing looks like for your business.”